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Monday, March 04, 2013

Social Change Anytime Everywhere is a new book by Allyson
Kapin and Amy Sample Ward.It is an
excellent primer in integrating multiple channels into your communications
strategy.There are lots of excellent
examples and case studies and the writing style makes this book an easy ready
that you’ll want to be a ready reference.There are books about fundraising and fewer
books that address advocacy.Social
Change Anywhere has chapters on fundraising, advocacy and community
building.It has two important distinguishing
characteristics:

There are lots of excellent examples from both large and
small organizations across a wide variety of types of nonprofits.

Integrating a multichannel strategy – not just using social
media – is important and something frequently overlooked.When nonprofits publish an email newsletter
or manage a facebook page as a standalone they are making a big mistake.This book demonstrates how to effectively use
a multichannel strategy painlessly.

The outlined approaches in each chapter are direct and easy to
understand and follow.You will learn
all the best practices of the big guns and examples of how they worked so well
for small organizations. The discussion
questions at the end of the chapters will help you to facilitate discussion on
these subjects in your organizations and not just try to “sell” the ideas.You often see articles about how to sell your
ideas but facilitating discussion can be more effective – especially when
you want people to participate – not just let you do what you want to do.

I was lucky enough to hear Amy Sample Ward talk about Social
Change Anytime Everywhere just one day after I received the book in the mail
from Amazon.I had flipped through but
not read it.Amy is such an excellent
speaker that she made the statistical data and concepts in the book come to
life.Here’s some classic Amy –
“Everyone is multichannel all day everyday.Help your supporters be a hero.People read their email standing in line for coffee and waiting to get
on an airplane.Give them the
opportunity to do something useful.”Priceless – rather than conceptually thinking of your supporters doing
something for you – give them the opportunity to do some good!Amy’s style is playful rather than serious
but she knows how to get a serious message across without the pain.

If you are in the New York area I strongly urge – not just
suggest – that you attend some 501 TechNYC events.They are free to attend and held after work
in New York.You’ll mingle with a
wonderful nonprofit tech crowd – networking and making new friends.I finished my evening with a glass of wine
and having Amy sign my copy of her new book.A few blocks to the PATH and I was home in New Jersey before I knew
it.Well worth the trip to the city.